Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-26
A STRANGE DOCUMENT.
4 Letter TO General Grant from His
Chief of Stan-AnerwGrsiS His
Secretary OF War.

The New York Sun publishes the fol
loving letter, written 10y the late Gene
rol John 4. Rawlins, and addressed to
the late General U. $. Grant, dated
Before Vicksburg, Miss, June 6, 1863,
| o'clock A. NJ:
Dear General, The great solicitude
| feel for the safety of this army leads
me to mention what / had hoped never
again to do-the subject of your drink
ing. This may surprise you, for may
bc-and | trust | am-doing you an in
justice by unfounded suspicion; but,
if an error, it better be on the side OF
his country's safety than in fear of
offendinga friend. have heard that DR..
Mcmillan, at General Shemans few
days ago, induced yOu, Notwithstanding
your pledge to me, to take glass OF
wine, and to-day, when | found box
of wine in front Of your tent and pro-
posed to move It, which / did, | was
told you had forbid its being taken
away, for you intended to keep it until
You entered Yickshurg, that You might
have it for your friends ; and tonight,
when you should, because of the con-
dition of your health, if nothing else,
have been in bed, | find you where the
wine bottle has just been emptied, iii
company with those who drink and
urge You to do likewise, and the lack of
your usual promptness Of decision and
clearness in expressing yourself IN
writing tended to confirm my suspi-
cions.
lyon have the full control Of your
appetite and can let drinking alone.
Had You not pledged me the sincerity
of your honor early last March that you
would drink no more during the war,
and kept that pledge during your re-
cent campaign, you would not to-day
have stood first in the worlds history
az a successful military leader. Your
only salvation depends upon your
strict adherence to that pledge. You
cannot succeed in any other way. As |
have before stated, | may be wrong in
my suspicious, but if one seesthat which
leads him to suppose sentinel is fall
ing asleep on bis post it is his duty TO
arouse him ; and if one sees that which
leads him TO fear the z neral command
ing great army is being seduced to
that step which he knows will bring
disgrace upon that general and defeat
TO his command If he fails TO sound the
uroper note of warning, the friends,
wives, and children of those brave men
whose lives he permits to remain thus
imperilled will accuse him while be
lives and stand swift witnesses OF
wrath against him in the day when
eli shall be tried. II my suspi-
cions are unfounded, let my friend
shin for YOU and my zeal for my conn
try he my excuse for this letter; and ii
they are correctly founded, and You de
termine not to heed the admonitions
and the prayers of this hasty note by
imme diately ceasing to touch single
drop of any kind OF liquor, no matter
by whom asked or under what circuIn-
stances, LET my immediate relief from
duty in this department be the result.
| | am, General, your friend,
"JoHS A. R.wLISs."
The retained copy of this letter was
endorsed by General Rawlins as follows
.sThis is an exact copy of letter
given to the person TO whom it is ad'
Dir, ssed at its date, about four miles
frcm m our headquarters in the rear OF
Yicksburg. It's admohitions were
hee ded, and all went well.
'sJoHS A. RAwLISs.